Hard Work is Invaluable to Success

Cassie is an Account Executive at The Clique, she graduated from AUT in 2015 with a BCS degree. At this year’s PRINZ Awards Cassie and her AUT teammate won the Paul Dryden Tertiary Award.

Chris Savage, a business growth specialist at theSavage Companywas the last to speak at thePRINZ2016 conference. Admittedly, I was starting to get tired on a Friday late afternoon so had positioned myself in a corner at the back. However, when he said “the only place that success comes before work is the dictionary.” I got up and moved to a closer table.

In a world of confusing, conflicting advice this resonated with my own experience where hard work is the true recipe of success. It is just about the only thing that can’t be taught.

In today’s age, the millennial generation is faced with an array of contradictions on how to be successful and happy. As a millennial I am faced with heavy competition, impossible deadlines, and changes that are the speed of lightning.

We are told we must look after ourselves, practice mindfulness and have a good work life balance. But how do I do all this as well as climb the ladder of success in the race of life?

Chris Savage discussed some points that particularly resonated with me:

Conditions are always perfect. As humans, we think we will be happy once we get the promotion, or we will work harder once we get that dream holiday – waiting for the perfect version of us. However, the time is always perfect because if we carry that mindset we will be waiting forever. Enjoy the perfection of where you are at and act now.

Feedback is the food of champions. Another funny attribute about us humans is we often do not like criticism or feedback. However, we are always learning so to grow it is vital to take that feedback on.

Create a 3-year plan with a vivid image of success. Imagine Christmas 2018 and think about what you want to say about yourself. Write down a plan with deadlines, make a long list of all things you have to do to achieve that plan and then break it up into phases. Get started immediately and do something towards it everyday. Then laminate it and keep it in your shower.

Don't let yourself down. Be your own best coach, put pressure on yourself and work smarter than anybody else. Trust me, we are capable of so much more than we can imagine.

Finally, something that stayed with me was his message that in the blink of an eye you go from being the youngest to the oldest in the room. We are in a life marathon, constantly learning, with rapid changes. He told us how he used a typewriter and noted how we all found it amusing. Emphasizing the speed of life and our constant need to learn was this sobering statement: In 20 years time, when I employ a version of me, they will laugh a lot louder at my iPhone 6 than I ever did at a typewriter.